Immigration as Viewed
by a Norwegian-American Farmer in 1869
A Letter Translated and Edited by Jacob Hodnefield (Volume II: Page 53)

Introduction

The letter of which the following is a translation was written
by Ole Spillum of North Cape, Wisconsin, on January 8, 1869,
to the bailiff (lendsmand) of his home district in
Norway, one J┐rgen Havig Spillum emigrated from Overhalden,
Namsos, Trondhjem diocese, Norway, in 1845 or 1846, and
located at North Cape, Racine County, Wisconsin, in the
well-known Muskego settlement.

The letter appears to have been written in answer to one by
the bailiff requesting Spillum to collect an account from a
certain Guldvig, a late immigrant. After an introduction
concerning a group of immigrants from Namsos, Spillum relates
his experiences in trying to locate Guldvig and describes the
procedure which finally brought some information of his
whereabouts. In doing this, and also later on in the letter,
he takes occasion to describe American conditions and tell
about the affairs of Norwegian immigrants.

A more argumentative portion of the letter concerns emigration
as a public question in Norway, and here he writes with some
vigor and takes issue with the bailiff, who evidently has
expressed himself in favor of a restriction of emigration. To
strengthen his argument he introduces comparisons with Germany
and England and comments on the fact that in those countries
emigration has not produced evil effects. An interesting
portion of his letter is his mention of Svein Nilsson and a
number of pioneer Norwegian publications.

The discussion throughout is intelligent and reveals a wide
knowledge of affairs both in this country and abroad. And,
although he leaves a sentence or two incomplete, the language
is better than would be expected of a farmer in a pioneer
community. It is not unusual, however, to find good letter
writers among the Norwegian immigrants of the period.

The original of the letter--a gift of Mr. Ingeman Ranum of St.
Paul-- is to be found in the manuscript division of the
Minnesota Historical Society.

I received your letters of March 25 and May 7 last year long
before the Namsos ship landed in America, as it had a long
journey. The only people I have met of the whole company are
Christian Rikammeren and the wife of a peasant and her son
from Namdalseidet. I inquired diligently concerning Gabriel
Berre. They knew he had been on the ship but did not know
where he had purposed to go or whither he went.

I know nothing of where either Gabriel or Otte Vemunvig are.
Only from your letters do I know that they are in America.
Neither did I know that there was a descendant of old Guldvig
in this country before I read it in your letter. I immediately
began to inquire among the Namdalings whom I met; and all had
heard the report that he was dead, but no one knew where he
had died, neither did they know whence this report had its
origin.

Finally Oluf Joelsen Aune was able to tell me that when he
made a trip through northeastern Iowa, northwestern Wisconsin,
and southeastern Minnesota in 1866 he had met this Guldvig in
the little town of Lansing on the Mississippi in the
northeastern corner of Iowa. They slept together that night,
and Guldvig complained of his chest and coughed almost all
night. (I think this must have given occasion for the report
that he was dead.) Guldvig had nothing to do at that time but
spoke of going where he could find government land in order to
take a piece under the homestead law and engage in
vine-culture.

Altho vine-culture is almost the most profitable agriculture
in America, provided soil and climate are agreeable, for one
who has never before seen a cultivated grape grow I would
rather advise planting potatoes, as thereby he would at least
get a surer crop; at least such is the case on the east side
of the Rocky Mountains; on the west side, however, soil and
climate are said to be especially adapted for vine-culture.

Students and such as do not relish heavy work nearly always
call at our pastor's in case there may be a parochial school
position or something of that sort whereby they may earn a
little money. Thus I inquired of our minister, Christian
Hvistendahl, if he had met this Guldvig at any synod or other
gathering; but he knew nothing of him. I then had Pastor
Hvistendahl inquire for him at the conference for western
ministers which was to be held the last part of October in Red
Wing. in Minnesota; where Pastor Frick, minister to the
Norwegian Lutheran congregations in LaCrosse and vicinity,
said that he had taken up land in Harrison County, Iowa, and
that his post office was Dunlap, and as far as he knew he
lived there yet. His address is consequently Dunlap, Harrison
County, Iowa.

If he has become a pioneer, there is probably not much money
to be expected from him during the first seasons; but yet I
wrote to him during the first days in November; and, as I
feared he would suspect that I had a commission from you to
carry out, I said nothing about the matter but only inquired
concerning the prospects for immigrants at that place, and
when I had entered into his confidence I would propose my
errand later. I asked for an answer as soon as possible, but I
have not received any nor do I think I shall receive any.
Still I am almost certain that he received my letter, as
according to the postal law the writer has a right to put on
the letter: "If not called for within 20 days, please
return to O. Spillum, North Cape, Wis.," that is,
"If not called for in 20 days please return to,"
etc. I put 20 days as I thought perhaps he had a long way to
the post office and thus would not visit it often, but I have
received nothing of one thing or another.

Harrison County is one of the boundary counties of Iowa on the
west side of the state where the Missouri River, which here
runs almost directly north and south, divides Nebraska from
Iowa. Harrison County is about 70 miles from Iowa's southern
boundary and about 120 from the northern boundary and about 20
miles north of the city of Council Bluffs on the Iowa side and
Omaha on the Nebraska side of the Missouri, where the Pacific
railway comes through and crosses the river on a bridge.
According to reports, the railway will be ready from ocean to
ocean next summer.

Before I leave Iowa I wish to say that one of the largest, if
not the largest, Norwegian settlement in America is found in
the northeastern part of this state,--the counties of
Winneshiek, Allamakee, Howard, Mitchell, Fayette, and
adjoining counties. In the first of these is located the
thriving town of Decorah, whose population is said to be
mostly Norwegian. This settlement is something more than 200
miles northeast of Harrison County. As a continuation of this
colony is the Norwegian settlement in southeastern Minnesota
in the counties of Houston, Fillmore, Mower, Freeborn,
Olmsted, Winona, and others. Here are many from Indherred and
Namdalen. I wish to observe that I have taken the geographic
locations as well as the distances from the map, as my foot
has never trod Iowa's soil, nevertheless I consider them
reliable.

In regard to emigration I am not in entire accord with you.
While I must praise your patriotism highly I cannot share
fully your view that a prohibition of emigration would be
beneficial to Norway at the present time. One hears complaints
from all sides in regard to the increasing burden of poor
support, and this seems to indicate that there is not
profitable employment for all. I know of only two remedies for
this evil: one is to create work for those who do not find
remunerative employment in agriculture, fishing, marine
commerce, and trade; and the other is emigration; for it will
avail little in many cases to fold your hands and await the
direct aid of God, as then God has given us our reason and
sense to little or no purpose if we will not use them for the
service of ourselves and our fellow men. Nor am I persuaded
that the emigrants lately have removed a considerable amount
of capital from Norway, and I find no cause to think that they
will do so in the future. Most of them do not have more than
enough to pay transportation, and the Norwegian ships earn
that, for the most part, for carrying them across the ocean;
indeed, it is not seldom that some of them get money sent to
them from friends in America to put into the pockets of the
Norwegian ship proprietors to take these people across the
ocean. If a person in addition takes into consideration that,
even if the larger part of those who go to America are poor,
they nevertheless consume not a little foreign luxuries such
as tobacco, coffee, sugar, and so on, without producing a
corresponding amount of products which the foreigner needs,
there is thus a shortage according to customary calculation.
The little sum of money which the emigrants have left after
their traveling expenses are covered would not be enough by
far for these luxuries for their lifetime, and Norway will
thus get a smaller bill from the foreigner by getting rid of
this consuming member of society.

To attempt to curb emigration by shrewdly contrived newspaper
articles or similar means would in my opinion make the bad
worse; for ever since the days of Eve the human race seems to
have been contaminated with the sin of being contrary, even if
it is to their own corruption.

If history does not lie, Germany was just as terrified in the
beginning as Norway is now, and still more, when large numbers
of her able-bodied military men and laborers found their way
across the ocean to the American colonies; for the government,
besides placing in their way at home every obstruction that it
could, hired correspondents in America who for pay should
picture the terrible fate which the adventurous emigrant could
expect; but Germany found that this rather had the opposite
effect, and finally found that its strength as a nation, in
physical, intellectual, or financial power, did not diminish
in proportion to the country's resources but rather increased,
altho every year since it has contributed not a small portion
to America.

Great Britain also has continued for hundreds of years to send
out thousands to all parts of the world and still the
population continues to increase at home, when one excepts
poor Ireland, which in spite of its rich soil continues to
diminish. English politics in connection with religious
restraint in relation to this island seems to be the reason
why the Irishman, known for his ignorance and quick temper,
develops aversion to his ancestral soil and seeks refuge in
other parts of the world. I myself have discovered that you
can make a simple Irishman your friend by no quicker method
than by disparaging English rule in Ireland. The nefarious
uprisings which have taken place recently in America and in
Ireland are in fact for no other purpose than that the leaders
thereby may gain access to the pockets of the credulous in
order to fill their own. Our government, as well as the larger
part of the population, smiles at seeing John Bull tremble in
his breeches upon hearing that filibuster expeditions are
equipped here against his country; for people still remember
very well the "Alabama" and others which this Master
Bull watched so complacently when our merchant ships were
destroyed in the late war.

It pleases us Norwegians in this country to learn that the old
revered land of our birth had a good crop the past year, and
this will doubtless result in that not so many will think of
America but will find work and food at home. I have already
read that the farmers among the northern mountains have begun
to export grain to England and at good prices. As far as
America is concerned we had last year a medium crop when the
country as a whole is considered. In the northwestern states
where most of the wheat is raised it was good as far as
quantity is concerned, but it was rather light, as it was
forced too much by the dry and warm weather we had the first
part of July. The corn was generally good, the oats fair,
potatoes good in some parts, in others destroyed by insects;
in this neighborhood rather good. Hay, a medium crop.

My brother Henrik greets you and thanks you for the business
you transacted for him. He received your letter with enclosed
receipt early in the fall.

It pleases us to hear that our old aunt has not suffered
anything during these hard times; but Henrik scratched his
head somewhat over the fact that Amund and Sophia should have
received the money under the present circumstances; for we had
heard that the aged one had been all the time at Sophia's who,
according to reports, is poor; but we had not considered that
when times became difficult her second daughter Olea would
become obliged to take her for a time. In a joking way I said
to Henrik that, if there were to be any help in it, a money
order for 100 Spd., or at the least 50, from him would be the
thing. He replied, likewise in semi-jest, "Well, who
knows what notions I might get into my head; but if I shall
fulfill my promise I guess I shall have to keep such thoughts
away this year." Henrik has promised to lend a man who
has bought a farm in the neighborhood 1000 dollars the latter
part of the winter.

But I think likely that some time later he will burden you
with a money order for some acquaintance or other who he hears
is in need; for he sees that on account of his poor eyesight
there are reasonable probabilities that he will become a
public charge. But as fate has so decreed, he not only is
satisfied and content in his condition but lives as well as
any one could wish, and the best of all this is that he
himself believes it and appreciates it. Consequently he is so
much the more thankful to Providence that has given him all
this and to the land of his birth to which he is indebted for
the bodily and spiritual endowments he has received. Thus he
has said of late that at some time he would provide a large
amount for some object of charity in the locality of his
birth, but as yet he has not arrived at any conclusion
concerning what it should be used for.

Naturally he wishes that it would be used where it would do
the most good, but he has not decided whether he would divide
it among private persons or give it for public support; for
both persons and their real circumstances, as well as
conditions in special cases, begin to be strange to a person
who has been away so long; and to believe the worst reports
from Norway would be perhaps as senseless as to believe the
most rose-colored a person hears concerning America.

The Peter M. Ansj┐ns are well and getting along nicely. It
seems that he does not wish the money he has in Norway brought
to America, at least not in the immediate future. To what use
he has assigned it I do not know,--very probably he himself
does not know as yet.

Svend Nilsen visited us last May; he was here then about a
week. He told us that he went to America as the correspondent
of Morgenbladet {1} in order
to give reliable reports concerning the condition of the
Norwegians in this country, which they thought were lacking
there at home. At first he employed what spare time he had in
writing for Skandinaven, a newspaper then recently
started in Chicago, and later he wrote for Emigranten, which
was printed in Madison, Wisconsin, but now he had severed his
connection also with this. But when the legislature of
Wisconsin last winter appropriated a sum of money in order to
send a suitable person of each nationality to travel
throughout the state and investigate the condition of his
countrymen and prepare a report which should be sent to the
country of each, Svend thereupon obtained this position for
the Scandinavians, and it was on this trip that he visited us.
He thus served two masters at the same time, Morgenbladet
and Wisconsin. From the first he received three specie dollars
per column and from the latter seventy-five dollars a month
and free transportation on the railroads. He also had a third
purpose in this trip; he wanted to publish a little
illustrated weekly in Madison, Wisconsin, Billed Magasinet
{2} where in each number he would
introduce a portion of the history of Norwegian emigration to
America, for which he had gathered material on this trip. Here
he brings in, in accordance with the words of the emigrants
themselves, the causes which induced them to take up the
pilgrim's staff and the difficulties they had to endure in
their new home, and their present condition. {3}
Some numbers of Billed Magasinet already have been
issued and people seem to like it very well. Twenty-five
subscriptions have been placed at North Cape already and there
may be perhaps even more. There is just one newspaper that has
a larger number of subscribers here, namely Skandinaven,
which sends very nearly twice as many each week to us here at
North Cape.

In spite of the fact that money has not increased in Svend's
pockets since he came to America, but rather diminished,
nevertheless he has high ideas concerning this country; so
much so that I had to observe that the aged Morgenblad
would hardly digest such opinions, especially as long as it
retained the opinions that it has had hitherto concerning
America and its institutions; neither could one expect
anything else as long as it remained an admirer of the
aristocratic London Times. He replied that he had a
free hand and would write according to his own convictions and
if Morgenbladet was not satisfied therewith they would
have to dismiss him.

My brother Michal with wife and four children are healthy and
doing well.

You have heard perhaps that something over a year ago I lost
my wife and youngest child. The remaining four children and I
are well and are dragging along with time as best we may
according to circumstances.

Conditions of health have been generally good for a long time
so that it is seldom we hear that anyone is sick.

I had a letter recently from the Geisness people. Old Aunt Ane,
the widow of John Andersen Berre, died last fall. Lorents P.
Flak had been sick for a long time but was at that time
better, and the wife of Andreas Halvorsen also was sick last
summer but better at that time. Carl Halvorsen is said to be
on the road to become a rich farmer.

Greet your brother Andreas Havig, also Christian Havig; and
you and your family are hereby greeted by yours ever obedient,

OLE. SPILLUM.

Notes
<1> A newspaper published in
the Norwegian capital, Christiania.